NOTES FROM THE ADRGS
Dear colleagues, students and staff,
RESEARCH NEWS
As we get ready for the Holidays and the New Year's celebration, it is important to me to say thank you to everyone who works to make our school and its research and graduate programs the best that they can be We experienced the largest gathering ever for our 2024 retreat in Keystone and it was wonderful for students and faculty to learn, discuss and enjoy all the research going on in our school We are so fortunate to have been able to invite the incoming students who have now completed their first semester! In this edition of the newsletter, we have added a focus corner for our alumni We hope this helps build a connection and helps us all to see what is going on with current programs and what has become of some of our graduates A degree from our grad programs is a step upward on the ladder of success
I hope everyone gets a little rest over the break and I wish you a happy and healthy 2025!
Manisha Patel, PhD
Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies
Karen Kimes,
MBA, Director of Research Administration
Isabella Jaramillo,
Graduate Program Administrator
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
The Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies webpage has been revamped and includes information about the strategic plan and the metrics to ensure success for the initiatives. The strategic plan was presented at the Research Retreat and includes input from a variety of stakeholders. The website will feature new links to Researcher Resources and the Research Development and Strategy Office. Our aim is to provide researchers, faculty, and students with easy access to vital information and tools that support their academic and professional journeys. The updated webpage will also highlight success stories and ongoing projects, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose among the research community. We are excited to launch this new platform and invite feedback to continuously improve the resources and support available.
e The are working with Click Here!
SSPPS Annual Research Retreat 2024
This year the SSPPS Research Retreat returned to the Rockies for the first time since 2019 The Keystone Lodge provided lovely scenery and accommodations for the 172 participants, including incoming graduate students and a record number of Department of Clinical Pharmacy Faculty joining to Celebrate Research! A superb program developed by the ADRGS, Dr. Manisha Patel and the 2024 retreat advisory committee composed of students, staff and faculty welcomed several distinguished Keynote speakers including Mariana Socal, MD, PhD from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Michael Verneris, MD, Professor and Translational Science Lead for the University of Colorado School of Medicine, from the Gates Institute, Kortny RolstonDuce, Director of Ecosystem Development at Quantinuum, Associate Dean for Education, Jennifer Trujillo, PharmD, and Fernando Holguin, MD PhD, James C Campbell Professor of Pulmonary Medicine Head, Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care.
Poster Presentation Winners
Best Research Poster or Presentation by a Graduate Student, Pharmaceutical Sciences - Jason Groegler
Best Research Poster or Presentation by a Graduate Student, ToxicologyBaharak Davari
Best Research Poster or Presentation by a Graduate Student, Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research - Mouna Dardouri
Best Research Poster or Presentation by Other Professional Participants (PRAs, masters and undergraduate students, postdocs) - Isabella Coenen
Best Research Poster Pitch by Any Eligible Poster PresenterAnnagabriela Figueroa
Teaching and Mentoring Awards
The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences recognizes the following teaching awards: Excellence in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Doctoral Teaching Award - Laura Saba, PhD
Excellence in Toxicology Doctoral Teaching Award - Rebecca McCullough, PhD
Excellence in Pharmaceutical Outcomes
Research Doctoral Teaching Award - Kelly Anderson, PhD
Excellence in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Master’s Teaching Award - Nichole Reisdorph, PhD
The Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies recognizes the following teaching award:
Excellence in Graduate Mentoring AwardKristina Brooks, PharmD
Harold C. Heim Award Winners
Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD Graduate Program - Hannah Work
Toxicology PhD Graduate ProgramArthur Stem
Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research PhD Graduate Program - Monica Bianchini
Isabella Coenen, Baharak Davari, Mouna Dardouri, Anna Figueroa, and Jason Groegler
GRADUATE PROGRAMS Student Successes
Comprehensive Exam Fall 2024
Thecomprehensiveexamisdesignedtochallengestudentstostepbackfromthespecificdeliverables expectedincoursesandreflectcriticallyontheirdisciplinethroughsynthesisandintegrationoftheir knowledge,skillsandexperiencesacrosssignificanttopicsintheiracademicdiscipline
Passingacomprehensiveexamindicatesthatastudentispreparedtomoveintothedissertationphaseof thedegree.
Congratulationstothefollowingstudentsforpassingthecomprehensiveexamfallsemester2024!
Toxicology Pharmaceutical Sciences
Emily Gracey
Shilpa George
Kyle Ross
Damien Trujeque
Stephanie Bersie
Angela Reinert
Alexandra Ward
CONGRATULATIONS 2024 GRADUATES
Manisha Patel, PhD, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies; along with Program Directors, Laura Saba, PhD, Jared Brown, PhD, Kelly Anderson, PhD, David Kroll, PhD, and Program Administrator, Isabella Jaramillo offer their sincere congratulations to the summer and fall 2024 class of graduates.
Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD Program
Timothy Kellett, PhD
Jonathan Taylor, PhD
Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research PhD Program
Sue Kwon, PhD
Nicholas Mendola, PhD
Toxicology PhD Program
Arthur Stem, PhD
Pharmaceutical Sciences Masters Program
José Barrón, MS
Abhinav Pentyala, MS
Wanzhu Zhao, MS
Nicholas Mendola, PhD
ALUMNI UPDATES
Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD Program
Timothy Kellett, PhD -
Postdoctoral Fellowship in the lab of Dr. John Gordon at the University of California San Francisco
Jonathan Taylor, PhDSoftware Engineer at VSEL
Toxicology PhD Program
Arthur Stem, PhD -
Postdoctoral Fellowship in the lab of Dr. Vasilis Vasiliou at Yale University
Pharmaceutical Sciences MS Program
Maria Trivino, MS – Clinical Research Coordinator at NYU Langone Medical Center
ALUMNI CORNER
Welcome, Fall 2024 Graduates!
Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research PhD Program
Sue Kwon, PhDPostdoctoral Fellowship in the lab of Dr. Ghadeer Dawwas at Vanderbilt University
Nicholas Mendola, PhDMarket Access SpecialistTerumo Blood and Cell Technologies
The Alumni Association for the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences sends its congratulations to the Class of 2024 on reaching this incredible milestone! As you transition from students to esteemed alumni of CU Pharmacy, we are thrilled to welcome you to our vibrant Alumni Association.
Your journey has been one of dedication, hard work, and perseverance. As you step into the next chapter of your professional lives, remember you are part of a distinguished network of pharmacists and pharmaceutical science professionals making a difference in healthcare around the world
The Alumni Association is here to support you every step of the way. Whether you're seeking career advice, networking opportunities, or ways to give back to the community, we offer a wealth of resources and connections to help you succeed. Stay engaged, stay connected, and continue to make us proud.
Welcome to the Alumni Association – your lifelong connection to the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences!
Sincerely,
Jaron Bryant Alumni Relations Manager
Jaron.Bryant@cuanschutz.edu
ADRGS ADVISORY COUNCIL: UPDATE
The ADRGS Advisory Council held the latest meeting on December 2, 2024, led by Manisha Patel, PhD, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies The council consists of members from both SSPPS departments and includes Jacci Bainbridge, David Bain, David Kroll, Heather Anderson, Jared Brown, Isabella Jaramillo, and Karen Kimes. The Council was joined by the DOPS Team Science Committee in an effort to ensure communication and efforts were optimized Several ideas were presented and the ADRGS group was supportive of possible funding for a competitive Pilot grant involving new collaborations
RESEARCH IN PROGRESS
The Fall Research in Progress seminar allowed faculty and students to hear from Vanessa Phelan of DOPS, “Unraveling the Chemical Mediators Within Polymicrobial Infections” and Brett McQueen of DOCP, “Building the economic case for presymptomatic type 1 diabetes screening” Look for a new format of the RIP coming this Spring!
THE GRANT ADMINISTRATION TEAM
The Grants team is available to support faculty, students, and staff who are interested in submitting grant proposals. Whether you're starting a new research project or seeking funding for ongoing work, the Grants team is here to provide guidance and assistance throughout the application process.
Please remember all external funding must be routed through InfoEd. To ensure a smooth review process, the initial routing must be completed at least 12 days prior to the grant's due date. This allows the Office of Grants and Contracts enough time to review the proposal and make any necessary adjustments well in advance of the deadline. We highly recommend finalizing your application at least 3 days before the submission deadline. Recently, we experienced some system outages that caused stress for both PIs and administrators. Taking this extra time will help avoid any last-minute complications.
Don't hesitate to reach out to SOP.Preaward@cuanschutz.edu as soon as you think you will be submitting a proposal and take advantage of this invaluable resource as you work towards your academic and research goals.
ADRGSSEEDGRANTS
The philosophy of the seed grant program is to grow research activities of SSPPS faculty by promoting novel research initiatives within SSPPS departments or across disciplines. Past awards have resulted in several NIH funded proposals and multiple publications.
This cycle we announced seed funding for 4 new and exciting projects. We are especially thrilled to see some new team science collaborations. Please join me in congratulating the awardees:
Kristina Brooks, PharmD with Jed Lampe, PhD: Determining the metabolic safety profile of HIV integrase inhibitors for use in neonates
Kristofer Fritz, PhD with Krishna Mallela, PhD: Cadmium Exacerbates Age-related Metabolic Dysfunction via Sirtuin Inhibition
Bryn Lindley, PharmD with Peter Rice, PharmD, PhD: The compatibility of Y-site injection of meropenem and posaconazole
Krishna Mallela, PhD with Ryan Layer, PhD (UCB): Developing machine learning algorithms to predict soluble protein expression
Best Graduate Student Poster-Jason Groegler
Best Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science Poster -Alaa Radwan
COMING SOON
SSPPS Faculty and Staff Retreat
January 8-9, 2025
The SSPPS will be holding a Retreat at the Benson Hotel, January 8th and 9th. Faculty should plan on attending both days and Staff will join on the 9th
POR Seminar Series
Introducing the newly launched Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research Spring Seminar Series. The first Seminar will be presented by Dr Anirban Basu from the University of Washington School of Pharmacy on February 13, 2025 Dr Basu will speak about Dynamic Efficiency and Pricing of Innovations with Insurance: The Case for Gene Therapies
Innovation Seminar
Melanie Joy, PharmD, PhD, Professor and Director of Innovation and Commercialization for the School is hosting an Innovation and entrepreneurship seminar on December 17th from noon -1pm in Room 4000. The invited speaker is Carm Huntress, the founder and CEO of Credo, the leader in automated patient medical record retrieval
New Research In Progress Format
You asked and we listened Students across the three PhD programs asked for an opportunity to present their research during the RIP sessions. Students will now have an opportunity to sign up in the fall and spring semesters along with their mentor or by themselves to present their research Be on the lookout for the sign up email for first Research in Progress this spring happening Thursday, January 30, 2025.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Student Recruitment-February 7th
Student Spring Symposium-April Research in Progress-January 30th
